1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly for terminating a flat cable, and more specifically, a connector assembly having integral strain relief means.
2. The Prior Art
Copending patent application, Ser. No. 28,952, the disclosure of which hereby being corporated by reference, discloses a connector assembly for flat transmission cable comprising a connector body having terminal means therein, and two connector covers over opposite connector faces of the body. While this connector approach works well in principle, and has been generally well received by the industry, certain improvements have been made in response to the industry's needs. First, tensile stress introduced into the cable can tend to violate the integrity of the conductor terminations if mechanical isolation of the contact area is not preserved. Consequently, the industry is in need of a connector assembly having improved strain relief capability for mechanically isolating the termination area of the connector body. Moreover, the ideal connector in assembled form should be immune to inadvertent disassembly, and structural integrity of the resulting assembled connector is critical. Another desirable attribute in any proposed connector assembly would be to provide integral means for preventing overengagement between the assembled connector and the terminal posts intended for insertion therein. A further requirement is that any connector embodiment which solves the above set forth problems, do so with a simplicity of design and a maximum degree of parts standardization so as to make the connector conducive to mass production and the inherent cost savings associated therewith.
Achievement of a connector which can accomplish the above has been unsuccessful to date due to a myriad of factors. One factor has been that the subject connector assemblies must necessarily be relatively miniature in scale, and it is the small size of a connector which forecloses the utilization of existing strain relief technology in the connector configuration. The miniature size of the connector also places significant limitations on the degree to which a designer can rely upon material stock for achieving a strain relief function. Also, commercial cables which are intended to be terminated by such assemblies include an outer sheath or layer which often is extruded from polymer materials, e.g., teflon, which are difficult to mechanically clamp. Finally, besides resisting tensile manipulation on the cable, the desired connector assembly must also protect the termination area of the cable from any shearing manipulation of the cable.